The Khan-e-Kalat family has always been playing a dominant role in politics. PHOTO: FILE
Loyalty carries weight when it comes to politics in Balochistan. The upcoming general elections will see two members of the former princely state of Kalat contesting for as many Balochistan Assembly seats. Prince Agha Irfan Karim and Prince Umer Khan are standing from PB-36 (Kalat-I) and PB-37 (Kalat-II), respectively.
Prince Karim, a provincial leader of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate. However, his aides say he is expected to get a PPP ticket. Prince Karim is not new in the political arena. He was previously elected to the Balochistan Assembly in 2008, and remained a minister in the cabinet of chief minister Nawab Aslam Raisani for about five years. However, he was a harsh critic of the chief minister throughout his tenure in the cabinet.
Prince Umer Daud Khan, the younger brother of the exiled Khan-e-Kalat Mir Suleman Daud Ahmedzai, has filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate on PB-37 (Kalat-cum-Soorab). Earlier, Umer was affiliated with PML-Q.
Royal ladies in the assembly
Prince Karim’s wife, Rubina Irfan, was also a member of the provincial cabinet, after being elected on a reserved seat for women in 2008. She belongs to the family of Nabi Bukhsh Zerhri and Qadir Bukhsh Zehri, a prominent industrialist and political family, which was affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League in the 1960s.
Prince Irfan’s two sisters gained fame in the recent parliamentary history of Balochistan. One of his sisters, Shama Parveen Magsi, is the wife of Governor Nawab Zulfikar Ali Magsi, while the second sister, Rehana Baloch, is married to Prince of Kalat, Yahya Jan. Parveen, who is affiliated with the PPP, was also a provincial minister in the cabinet of chief minister Raisani from 2008 to 2013.
A look at history
Prince Agha Abdul Karim Baloch, father of Irfan Karim and younger brother of Khan-e-Kalat Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, had revolted against his brother’s decision of accession of Kalat State to Pakistan at the request of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1948. Abdul Karim took refuge in Afghanistan to wage an armed resistance against Pakistan. However, he ultimately surrendered to Pakistan in 1950.
The Khan-e-Kalat family has always been playing a dominant role in politics. However, it had to face a tough time during the last two decades at the hands of JUI-F and the Zehri brothers.
Current Khan-e-Kalat, Mir Agha Suliman Daud, went into self-exile in the United Kingdom after the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006 and decided to form a government in exile of Balochistan. Before that, he convened a grand jirga of all the notable tribal chiefs of Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh to discuss the situation particularly the killing of Akbar Bugti.
While it was unanimously decided that the Baloch would move the International Court of Justice for the restoration of the Kalat State in the light of the instrument of annexation, Mir Daud was eventually left alone in the struggle.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 22nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (7)
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Yeah !! Kalat was a princely state and had been ruling since 1600 when khan ahmad invaded to balochistan .. The Khans of Kalat were founded by a Baloch hill chieftain named Qambar (or Qumbar).His tribe was hired by Sehwa, the Raja of Kalat, a Hindu princely state, to protect against marauding tribes from the Multan, Shikarpur and Upper Sind areas.[4] Kumbar and his troops successfully repressed the incursion, but afterward, they deposed the raja and Qambar became the first Walli
Tenure Khan of Kalat[1] 1666–1667 Mir Ahmad I 1695–1696 Mir Mehrab 1697–1713 Samandar Khan 1713–1714 Mir Ahmad II 1715–1730 Mir Abdullah 1730–1749 Mir Muhabbat 1749–1794 Muhammad Nasir Khan I, son of Abdullah[5] 1794–1831 Mahmud Khan I 1831 – 13 November 1839 Mehrab Khan II 1839–1840 Shah Nawaz Khan 1840–1857 Nasir Khan II, son of Nasir Khan I[6] 1857 – March 1863 Khudadad Khan (1st time) during his period of rule, there were seven major and many minor rebellion took place. March 1863 – May 1864 Sherdil Khan (usurped throne) May 1864 – 15 August 1893 Khudadad Khan (2nd time) 10 November 1893 – 3 November 1931 Mahmud Khan II 3 November 1931 – 10 September 1933 Mohammad Azam Jan Khan 10 September 1933 – 14 October 1955 Ahmad Yar Khan (1st time) 20 June 1958 – 1958 Ahmad Yar Khan (2nd time)(in rebellion) 14 October 1955 State of Kalat acceded to Pakistan
@Benazeer Abbas: Clearly you need to read your history. Kalat was a Princely State and had to chose either India or Pakistan as per 3 June 1947 plan. Every princely state like Kashmir etc had its own legislative houses, Kalat was nothing new. This Baloch Sarmachar propaganda is getting boring now.
Balochistanis need to be made stake holder in Pakistan. I like it when Imran Khan quotes, as a way forward for Balochistan, East and West Germany post Berlin Wall whereby development / projects were initiated to bring both parts close in an inclusive manner.
Glad to see they are participating
To be honest both will get a nice thrashing in the election.
Hello Mr. Butt,
Kallat had never been a Princely state. It was an independent country. It wasn't like Kashmir, Hyderabad(Deccan) or Bahawalpur. It had a legislative assembly. Correct your history or read the history of Baluchistan if you haven't read.
What a misleading title! There are so many Khans and there is only one Khan when it comes the politics!